The present invention pertains to cord bushings, and particularly to cord bushings utilized with electrical devices or apparatus such as electrical appliances or the like.
A bushing is usually provided to protect an electric cord as the cord passes through an opening in an outer casing of an electrical apparatus. Prior art bushings typically have internal projections and recesses provided in a bore or cavity thereof which cooperate to bear against the cord and bend the cord so that it is held in position within the bushing.
In Japanese utility model patent application laid-open No. 53(1978)-137699 applicant has disclosed a cord bushing which includes a bendable cord protector. The bendable protector comprises a plurality of linked rings through which the cord extends. The bendable cord protector allows the cord to gently bend either right and left or up and down in such a manner that the cord is not in danger of being severed.
Most electrical devices nowdays have connecting electrical terminals provided in the opening in the outer casing of the electrical device, rather than have the cord continue internally past the openings and into the electrical device. To this end, applicant has disclosed in Japanese utility model patent application laid-open No. 53(1978)-74092 a cord bushing having both the bendable cord protector described above and electrical terminals connected to an end of the electrical cord. The cord bushing disclosed in application 53(1978)-74092 comprises two distinct mating members which are not connected in their unmated configuration. The first member is provided at one end thereof with a recess into which the second member securely fits. The second member is adapted to receive therein electrical terminals formed at the end of the electrical cord passing through the bushing. When the first and second members mate, projections and recess provided on interior portions of the members press against the cord to hold the cord into position so that the cord will not come out of the bushing.
Applicant has found it somewhat awkward to assemble the cord bushing device described immediately above, inasmuch as the electrical terminals must be placed in the second member while the second member is separated from the first member through which the cord extends. The projections provided in both the first member and the second member complicate the mating assemblage in a situation where the second member receives the electrical terminal while the first member has the cord passing therethrough. Moreover, although both first and second members are fabricated with a plastic injection molding process, the second member cannot be fabricated in a single step since it has a internal configuration (comprising a curved projecting surface) which prohibits the withdrawal of a mandrel-like pin member used during the plastic injection molding process.
Prior art cord bushings having cord-protecting structures mounted essentially perpendicularly with respect to the side of the electrical device from which they extend. Thus, a space approximating the length of the cord-protecting structure must be allowed between the outer casing of the apparatus and a nearby wall or floor to accommodate the cord-protecting structure. That is, since a cord-protecting structure usually extends perpendicularly out of a side of an outer casing of an electrical appliance such as a toaster, a stove, or the like, the applicance cannot necessarily be placed close to a wall or floor since sufficient room must be allowed between the appliance and the wall for the cord-protecting structure.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is the provision of easily fabricated and easily assembled cord bushing.
An advantage of this invention is the provision of an essentially L-shapped cord bushing wherein cord-protecting structure does not extend essentially perpendicularly to the sides of the outer casing of an electrical device.
Another advantage of this invention is the provision of a cord bushing having resiliently hinged cord retaining means which bears against a cord passing through the cord bushing and enables the cord to exert pressure against an opening in an appliance casing through which the bushing is inserted.